Richard Rider (Earth-2004)
History Early History Richard Rider was born in Hempstead, New York. As a teenager, he was chosen at random by the alien Rhomann Dey, last surviving Centurion of the planet Xandar's elite Nova Corps, to inherit his power and succeed him in the rank of Nova Prime following the destruction of his world by the intergalactic pirate Zorr. Having been mortally wounded in the battle that tore Xandar apart, Dey succeeded in tracking Zorr to Earth, but he was unable to exact vengeance himself due to the extent of his injuries. At death's door, Dey had little choice but to transfer his power to an unsuspecting human on the planet below, gambling that whoever he found would be willing to take up his cause and prove worthy of the powers he had given their recipient. The sudden infusion of power overloaded Rider's body, and he was hospitalized. While Rider was comatose, the moribund Rhomann Dey explained to him telepathically what had happened to him and what his mission was. Rider's recovery was as sudden as his incapacitation had been, being preceded by eye-blasts that knocked a doctor out of his room. Discharged, he tried to resume his normal routine. But the very next day, Rider was alone in his bedroom when Dey suddenly transmitted to him Dey's last gift to Rider, his Centurion's uniform. Rider discovered that he now possessed super strength, near invulnerability, the power to fly, and a uniform with a sealed life-support system, but with little instruction as to how to use these new powers. Indeed, he barely had the opportunity to test out these powers before radio circuitry contained in his uniform's helmet alerted him to Zorr, who was on a rampage in the heart of New York City. Rider was able to locate Zorr and engage him in combats, although he was unable to fatally wound Zorr. Using a telepathic link Dey was able to use Rider to lock onto Zorr's location. Dey then teleported Zorr aboard his Nova-Ship and used the energies of its Computer P.R.I.M.E. to disintegrate Zorr, leaving behind only the alien's life-support suit. The energies of the Computer P.R.I.M.E. are so powerful that Dey's body was itself destroyed in the process. Rider, having taken up the mantle of Nova, was enamored with his newfound abilities, albeit he did not have the any idea as to how he was supposed to use his new powers. Still, he took up the life of a superhero, fighting costumed enemies in New York as he is gradually learning how to use his new powers. After a brief career as "Nova: the Human Rocket," he was called into space to serve in the protection of the recently reconstructed planet Xandar, where his powers originated. Eventually, his life of constant intergalactic war was beginning to become tiresome. Hoping to rejoin his high school friends, Richard Rider requested to return home to Earth. When he was told he had to relinquish his powers in order to do so, to which Rider agreed. However, after leaving school, and tracking the activities of the villain Minotaur, he found his power rebestowed, bedore he left earth to return to Xandar to find out the problem. He was absent for The Mind Games, and responded to the messsge for help from the Avengers. He arrived during the final fight against Shadelock, and fought against him, fighting the Onai furiously but being knocked out in the process. In the end, Shadelock was defeated, and Nova prepared to return to space, but later joined the new Guardians of the Galaxy. Category:Earth-2004 Category:Versions of Nova Category:Earth-2004 Stars